Two weeks before the Olympic Winter Games in Sochi,
Daniela Iraschko-Stolz took her first win this season.
In Planica, where the World Cup was moved from Ljubno,
the Austrian won with jumps on 100 m and 102.5 m
and 261.5 points clearly ahead of World Cup leader
Sara Takanashi and Carina Vogt.

Slovenes closely miss the podium

The Japanese, who already won eight competitions
this season, reached a total of 249.3 points with
her jumps on 97 m and 98 m and came in 2.8 points
ahead of Carina Vogt. The German achieved her seventh
podium finish this season with 96 m and 99 m. Good
results for the home team of Slovenia were achieved
by Ursa Bogataj in fourth with 238.7 points and
Eva Logar, who was sixth with 232.6 points, four
points behind Japanese Yuki Ito (5th). Irina Avvakumova,
third in the overall World Cup, who skipped the
competitions in Zao recently, was seventh with 229.7
points, French Coline Mattel was eighth, only 0.2
points behind.

Norwegians in the Top 10

The Norwegians Maren Lundby and Helena Olsson Smeby
completed the Top 10, followed by Slovenia's Katja
Pozun and Maja Vtic in 11th and 12th. A close team
performance was shown by the Germans Ulrike Graessler,
Ramona Straub and Juliane Seyfarth in 15th, 16th
and 19th. Manuela Malsiner was the best Italian
in 22nd. Michaela Dolezelova, who will probably
be the only Czech jumper in Sochi, came in 23rd.
After the 18th place in Sapporo, Susanna Forsstroem
of Finland, achieved her second best result this
season in 24th. The two Russians Anastasiya Gladysheva
and Daria Grushina came in 28th and 30th, a season
best for them.

The second competition in Planica will take place
on Sunday at 2:00 pm CET.

Statements about the competition

Daniela Iraschko-Stolz:

"I'm very happy because the last months were
difficult for me due to my knee injury. In the last
competitions my results were not so good. Now I
was able to win here and this is very important
for me and the team. I'm ready for Sochi!"

Sara Takanashi:

"I'm not satisfied with my jumps today. Tomorrow
I will try to avoid the mistakes. The hill here
in Planica looks like the one in Sochi. Both are
very modern facilities."

Carina Vogt:

"I'm satisfied and I'm also very happy about
my consistent shape on all hills during this season.
The hill here was very well prepared and we had
fair conditions. My jumps were good, but I have
to improve my landing for Sochi."

Interview with Rajko Pintar, president of the organizing
committee Ljubno

Was it an easy decision to move the competition
to Planica?

Rajko Pintar: "It was very difficult decision.
We knew we have only ten days from the official
decision to carry out the competition at a new venue.
We are guests here just like the jumpers and officials
and everything here is new for us. The facilities
are under construction and we have some problems
with that. I think everything will be okay for the
competitions."

What about your decision to take care of the organization
here with your own team?

Pintar: "We had two options. First was to go
to Planica and the other was to cancel the competition.
My rule is never cancel if it’s not totally necessary.
We didn’t think about canceling the competition
because I know every competition is very important.
If the girls lose two competitions, that’s a high
percentage. We knew it is a some kind of adventure
to organize it with the whole crew but the show
must go on."

How was your cooperation with Planica?

Pintar: "The cooperation with Planica was really
good. I know this is also an adventure for Planica.
I think this is the first international competition
on the normal hill here and they will be hosting
the final here in March. I think this is good for
them too because they will see how things are working
here, both good and bad. I think that the construction
will be finished in March. We have had a very good
cooperation with the OC Planica and Savot Planica
and also a good cooperation with the national ski
association. They have helped us in this situation."

Your city's mayor is also here in Planica to help
preparing the hill?

Pintar: "Our city's mayor is a former ski jumper
and he was also the vice president of our club for
a few years. Now he has apartments in our sports
center. Because of the snow fall on Friday he was
also working hard to prepare the hill with the rest
of the crew."